Parking Lots to Pathways: Evangelistically Bold

This sermon was prepared and preached by Pastor Mike Rose at First Federated Church in Des Moines, Iowa, on
Sunday, March 2, 2008.
Copyright © 2008, First Federated Church

Since Jan. 13, we’ve been focusing on a series titled Parking Lots To Pathways: spiritual maturity is a
journey. We’re taking a “big-picture” look at the steps and mile-markers that are part of making real
progress in our maturity as Christ followers.

Additionally the series has served as a wake-up call to those who have gotten off the Pathway of Maturity
and pulled into the Parking Lot of Static Christianity.

The message for those in the parking lot is, start your spiritual engine, put your life in gear and get back
onto the pathway. God’s plan for you is never static, but always that you be moving closer and closer to
the image of Christ Jesus His Son.

Now the model for movement is not exhaustive, but represents several important steps in the life
transformation process beginning at salvation and ending when we come into the presence of Christ.

REVIEW

1. Passionate Commitment To Jesus: a choice to choice to abandon my heart and will to Him as Lord.
2. Biblically Measured Life: a choice to let God guide my life through His Word and the Holy Spirit’s
use of the Word in my everyday life.
3. Moral Purity: Making life choices that are consistent with the new life I have in Christ.
4. Family Centered: Making life choices that are consistent with God’s design for me to live and grow
in vital relationships. Marriage, Family, Biblical Community.
5. Financially Faithful: Making life choices that are consistent with the gracious heart of God.
6. Socially Responsible: Reaching out to others with works of service in Jesus name.

These represent areas of growth and continual development that must be worked with if we are going to
see ourselves maturing, being transformed to more closely reflect the image of Jesus.

This morning we add this last item to our model of life transformation: Evangelistically Bold:
Reaching out to others with words of hope in Jesus name.

I. Evangelism is every believer’s responsibility.

Evangelism is a spiritual gift. Not everyone has the gift of evangelism, just like not everyone has the gift
of mercy. But we are all called to be merciful, and in turn, we are all called to be evangelists.

What is an Evangelist? It is one who proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ. Some are called to it as a
fulltime vocational ministry, but every believer is called to it as a life work. Matthew 28:19-20, New King
James Version (NKJV) - 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have
commanded you.

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Notice the original command Jesus issued to His disciples: 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations … disciples are made through the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – Romans 10:17,
NKJV Faith comes by hearing… the Word of God.

Look again at Matthew 28:20. as we’re making disciples, we’re also to be teaching those disciples all of
the commands of Christ. Not the least of which is the command to make disciples – evangelize the lost.
So, proclaiming the gospel, being an evangelist, isn’t for an elite few, but for everyone who follows
Christ.

II. Evangelistic Boldness.

Now, one thing every evangelist needs is boldness. WHY? Because Satan hates the message of the
gospel and will do everything in his power to silence it if he can.

One of the greatest Evangelists of all time was the Apostle Paul. He traveled the known world
proclaiming the gospel in situations that you and I would never touch. Yet as bold and skilled as he was,
he still felt the need to ask God for boldness and to ask fellow Christians to pray that God would grant
him boldness.

Ephesians 6:19-20, New Living Translation (NLT) - 19And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right
words as I boldly explain… that the Good News is for the Gentiles, too. 20I am in chains now for
preaching this message as God’s ambassador. But pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for Him, as I
should.

Paul was a bold evangelist for the Lord. But his boldness was not simply limited to his ability to speak
God’s truth in hostile situations. He was bold in his methodology also. You see, Paul was called to carry
to gospel beyond his own people. In order to communicate to a diverse population, he was willing to
cross lines that many would not so he could share the message of Christ. In fact, so determined was Paul
to reach his diverse audience, he was willing to limit his own rights and preferences to do it. 1
Corinthians 9, look with me beginning with verse 19:
19
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
20
To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as
under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under
the Law; 21to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God
but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. 22To the weak I
became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all
means save some. 23I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow
partaker of it.

As we read this you might ask, “What’s so Bold about that?” You have to understand that Paul grew up
and lived in a tradition-rich culture. Paul was a Jew, he had been a Pharisee, and that demanded a life that
was separated from the common culture around him. It demanded that he keep certain feasts and festivals,
that he not eat certain foods, that he not associate with certain people because to do so risked being
separated from your community.

Yet Paul knew that if he lived according to the strictness of his Jewish heritage, he would not be able to
communicate the gospel to the broader population, so he adopted a ministry philosophy that was bold.
First, his highest allegiance would be to Christ. What Jesus said, how Jesus directed, was more important
than any of the social customs that man might expect of him. Second, he realized that if he were to
communicate the gospel effectively, he had to be able to relate to the various population groups he was
being sent to.
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So when he was with the Jews, although “in Christ,” he was not obligated to observe all that the Jewish
leaders demanded; he would comply so that his conduct would not be a stumbling block to his Jewish
friends. When he was in a non-Jewish setting, he would set aside many of his Jewish ways, and adopt the
ways of the people he ministered to, so they would not stumble over his Jewish distinctives.

When he was with those whose learning was not as great as his, he would adapt by bringing God’s truths
down from the top self so that the common man or woman could understand the gospel. The last sentence
of verse 22 and the first of 23 sum it up: 22I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means
save some. 23I do all things for the sake of the gospel …

Paul was practicing Missions 101. If you’re going to minister to a people group, you’re going to have to
speak their language, wear their clothes, adopt their customs (provided they do not violate Christ’s
commands), eat their food and live among them.

You say, “OK Pastor, so what! What does this have to do with the Big Announcement you said you would
be making?” EVERYTHING!

We (First Federated Church), are in the same business the Apostle Paul was in – proclaiming the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are in the same position he was in. We are called to do that ministry among
a diverse people group.

Now when people think of Iowa, they don’t think of diverse people groups. Iowa is 95 percent Caucasian,
born and raised in America. We are all the same, right?

WRONG! We live in a unique time. As a people, we may speak English, but we don’t all speak the same
cultural language. Cultural language touches our music and habits, what we value and don’t value, how
we worship, how we understand truths or don’t. What is an enhancement to one group is a barrier to
another.

In the midst of all this diversity is the Church. Many churches are clueless when it comes to the diversity
that surrounds them and is even in them. Take First Federated for example. Despite the great cultural
diversity that’s around us and even in us, we present our ministry in one format only – blended.

We take a little of the traditional and mix it with a little of the xontemporary, and wrap that in a casual
dress atmosphere, at one single time of day and week and say, this is what we do, take it leave it.

And while there are many who love it and are taking it, there are many that we are not reaching because
we are not speaking their language. There are people here today who for you, this is your church and it
will be your church until God calls you home, but you’re not thriving here, you’re just tolerating.

Let me explain: In our culture (secular or sacred) there are three primary groups: traditionalist,
contemporists, and middle-of-the-roaders.

Right now, our ministry is set up exclusively for the middle-of-the-roaders. Our blended service appeals
to those who like a little of the old and a little of the new and a relaxed atmosphere. And that works real
well for the people we have who are of that mindset and the people we’re trying to reach of that mindset.

However, we have a sizable group in our church family who are traditionalist, and many of them are
dying on the vine. Why? Because we’re not speaking your language. These folks grew up with hymns,
and conservative gospel music. For you, church is not an informal affair, but should have a greater
“reverence” (formalness) to it. Some have left our fellowship because we have moved away from a

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traditionalist perspective. And there are people we want to reach who currently we can’t, because the
language we speak here doesn’t register with them.

On the other hand, we have a great number of contemporists in our fellowship. You, too, are dying on
the vine, Why? Because we are not speaking your language. You feel stifled by the middle-of-the-road
approach. You may want to stand the whole time you’re singing and you want to sing for 20-30 minutes.
You want a “real” casual atmosphere; the pastor in jeans is just fine. You want music that is Biblically
correct, but also music that you can feel (literally high-volume). Some have left our fellowship because
we’ve not moved to a more contemporary ministry. And there are people we want to reach who would
never come here because we’re too conservative in our methodology.

For 20 years, we’ve offered only one service, at one time, with one blended format. Has it worked? NO!,
First Federated Church has been less than effective during this time.

So what do we do? We follow Paul’s example. God is doing a new work at Federated. Over the past 18
months, He’s brought circumstances together to allow us to do a bold and exciting new type of ministry
Let me share that with you now.

God has laid on my heart a vision for ministry that I believe answers the diversity problem that we face. I
have shared this vision with the staff, elders, deacons, worship development team and strategic ministry
development team, with a 100 percent buy in.

The Vision / Big Announcement – In 2008, First Federated Church will adopt a three-service format that
speaks the unique languages of our congregation and community.

1. We will continue to offer the blended service we have now, a service that speaks the cultural
language of the middle-roaders (I am one). I will be the primary speaker for that service, Pastor
Howie and the present team will continue to lead musically. Beginning April 6, the time of the
blended service will move 15 minutes later to 10:45 a.m., running to noon. That service will
continue here in the auditorium.

2. Beginning April 6, we will begin to offer a first-class traditional service that features hymns and
gospel music. I will be the primary speaker for that service, sporting suit and tie, and Tom Brown
will be the worship leader. That service will be held here in the auditorium from 8 to 9 a.m.
Subsequently, all ABFs, elective classes and Sunday School classes will begin 15 minutes later at
9:15 and run till 10:30 a.m.

3. Lord willing, as early as June, a contemporary service will be offered. The primary speaker for
that service will be Pastor Curt and the worship leader will be David Bush. That service will
begin at 9:15 and run till10:30 a.m. It will meet in the Chapel.

No doubt many questions are circling in your head, and I want to make sure you get answers. At our
Annual Meeting on Sunday, March 30, I will give a more in-depth presentation of how this came about
and offer time for people to get questions asked.

Let me sum up today’s message and announcement with these final thoughts.

1. Please do not think of the traditional service a service for elderly folks. It’s a traditional service for
those whose language and connection point is more traditional, regardless of age. Understand that the
vision both Tom Brown and I have is to offer a first class traditional service that will meet not only
the needs of our own congregation but that can reach new people for Christ. This is about bold
evangelism.
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2. Please do not think of the contemporary service as a college service. It is not! It is a service for young
adults, college-age, singles, marrieds, marrieds with children. It is open to anyone whose language
and connection point is contemporary. The vision of both Pastor Curt and David Bush is to build a
first-class contemporary service that will meet not only the needs of this congregation, but reach
many new people for Christ. This is about bold evangelism.
3. The blended service will be for all who like a little of the old, a little of the new, a casual atmosphere,
and all that we are presently doing. The vision both Pastor Howie and I have is to continue to improve
its effectiveness of communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ to those whose language and connection
point is more middle-of-the-road. This, too, is about bold evangelism.

Final Statement

It is time for First Federated Church to make a bold move to improve its ability to meet the needs of the
people God is bringing for us to minister to. Making this move places us in a unique position. There are
many churches offering contemporary and traditional services, but, to my knowledge, we will be the only
one offering three distinct formats for ministering to people.

And I guarantee you, that all three services will be Bible-centered and Christ-exulting.

To make this happen, we’ll need many new greeters, ushers, singers, players, helpers of all kinds. But
that’s why we’re here, right? To serve and make a difference. I ask you to get behind this, promote it to
everyone you know, pick which service best ministers to you, and get involved.

The First Federated Church copyright, above, is for the sermon itself, not for any items quoted in the sermon, unless otherwise
stated. All quoted items are done so in good faith, and the source is attributed when it is known.

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